#niatsuki

“Dethrone?” Light’s brows arched almost comically. He closed his eyes, shoulders beginning to tremble the slightest bit from partially contained laughter. “What I’m after has nothing to do with L.” He shook his head before looking back at Near, hazel hues piercing in their undivided attention. “Don’t think everything I do is centered around him. That’s you all’s purpose in life.” He made a lazy sweep of his hand.

The man was as arrogant as he was full of it, but Near would play along.

“No? So dropping out of the running for successor to establish a name for yourself, such as L, has nothing to do with him?”

“No.” Light smiled, voice pitching an octave higher and Near felt a wave of disdain wash over him. “Whether I end up ‘stealing his thunder’ with my own capabilities is merely a possibility.” A certainty, Near thought, in Light’s narcissistic brain. “Not a goal I’ve set out for.”

Bullshit.

“Then what is your goal, pray tell?”

“My, so many questions, Near.” Light announced, leaning back against the kitchen counter top. He propped himself up by his elbows and fixated Near a leveled look. “Hasn’t anyone ever told you it’s rude to take, but never give?”

“Like you would know.”

“Oh, but I do.” Near’s brows furrowed, surveying Light’s expression turned dark all of a sudden, his voice lowered to something short of a growl. “I’ve given up more than you could ever imagine...”

...

What the hell was that supposed to mean?

Near messed with a lock of hair behind his ear, considering his option of issuing his confusion, but the brunet’s perceived content with staring at his face was starting to unnerve Near and he decided (filing away the subject in his head for a later date) staying on topic was the best course of action.

“What do you want to know?”

“Mmm,” Light hummed, his mouth pressing into a thin line and glancing up at the ceiling. “...Nothing.”

Near couldn’t help his face from portraying his surprise. “Nothing?”

Light shrugged. “There’s nothing you know that I already don’t or can’t obtain for myself, so yes, Near. Nothing.”

Near’s muscles tensed trying to read the genius in front of him. Surely, he wanted something. He paraded around the manor like he owned the place, and Near supposed, in a way, he did, possessing some strange hold over the reason behind the estate’s existence. Someone with clutches that tight in L should have little to no problems finding out anything they needed to know.

Though, Light didn’t seem to have total power in influencing L. Recalling how they interacted during their last meeting, the brunet had gotten pretty haughty when asked to detail his own shortcomings. If Light’s influence on L wasn't absolute then that would mean he had to do some digging on his own, unbeknownst to L. He knew Light had to be the curious type (most geniuses were), but more accurately ones who didn’t relent until they were satisfied, until they obtained everything they sought after and then some.

Light was that sort of person.

Near’d been hoping the sociopath already had a list of inquires in mind to ask him. Now Near had to dig into his own brain to pull something that might prove of interest to the boy. How annoying.

“But,” Light started, pushing himself off the counter with all the grace of the inhuman he was. Near took an involuntary step back, his personal space suddenly invaded. “If you were to ask me what I wanted, I might have an answer for that,” he purred not too far from Near’s ear.

Near hadn’t yet decided whether Light’s inappropriate behavior towards him was provoked whenever he’d gotten closer to uncovering the truth, Light wanted him to go away, or if the brunet was just a whore willing to fuck whomever he thought appealing. Near hadn’t decided, mostly, because he never gave these times any thought outside of them currently happening, the advances always sending him turning on his heel without another word and filing them under his mental ‘we never discuss this, ever’ folder.

“I really liked it when you said my name, you know.”

This time proved no different.

Near didn’t waste a minute longer stepping to move pass the psychopath and swore he would wear boxer shorts from that day forward when he misplaced his footing on his too-long-for-his-legs pajama pants.

He instinctively reached out to grip the cotton sleeve, his chest met with a sturdy arm, before realizing what just happened. He yanked his hand back as if Light were on fire, straightening his posture and fixating the boy a glare.

“I didn’t peg you as a klutz, Near. Are you nervous?”

He never had much sense of action like Mello or many of the other Wammy children possessed to punch someone, but Near supposed it wouldn’t be difficult to summon the desire when involving Yagami Light.

“Don’t touch me.”

A chuckle filled the air. “I’ll be sure to let you face-plant next time, then.”

“At least the floor is clean.”

Near inwardly smiled when Light’s face twisted. Piece of shit wasn’t the only one who knew how to push buttons.

As if aware of his mistake, Light’s controlled demeanor snapped back into place. “Cute.” He commented through a tight smile.

Another thing you know nothing about, Near mused, despite himself. What his predecessor saw in this man, he didn’t know. If puberty meant developing affections for pretentious dickbags, the universe could keep his.

He moved again, albeit slower this time and paying careful attention to his legs as he made his way across the floor. Fortunate enough, the brunet said nothing more as Near exited the room.

The meeting proved a bit of a failure for him. He’d have to re-think his approach for Yagami Light. One that required less direct involvement.

For a moment he pondered, ‘What would L do?’, but after recalling what his ears were forced to listen to some nights ago, he shuttered.